Phantom of the Opera

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How good is Phantom of the Opera on a scale of 1-10?

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Probably the best song on the record in my opinion. The first epic showed a lot of the things I've come to appreciate over the years with Maiden. A lot of different riffs, different tempos, tons of melodies and an amazing middle section.
The vocal sections are the weakest part of the song, but though the lyrics aren't anything to write home about, the vocal lines and syllable count aren't as bad as they'd become later in other Harris epics.

The vocal harmonies are interesting, but stylistically so incredibly different to the way Maiden would approach vocals in the future. They're kinda endearing in their weirdness. I'm glad that we got Bruce and his completely different approach though.
Everything from the solo section up to right before the verses start again is badass. Live versions really help this song, since the production lacks the energy and aggression the song needs. An 8.
 
Night Prowler said:
Best song from the debut. I saw Maiden only once (exactly 2 years ago - 10.02.2009.) and I enjoyed this song the most. I prefer LAD version, but nevermind. 10/10.
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Yep, still the best song from the debut. I did see Maiden 5 more times, and Phantom 2 more times :D

I currently prefer the Beast Over Hammersmith version as it's the fastest one with Bruce. Maiden Japan version is also solid. More recent slowed-down versions don't do the trick for me.
 
Heart says 10 while brain says 9 (because of the note-for-note/word-for-word metric in the verses)... and because once Stratton was replaced, they didn't keep the second voice.
 
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this song is hauntingly beautiful, sorta in line with fellow epic Hallowed Be Thy Name but with a raspier, punkier feel to it (which is to be expected, it's the debut) that only serves to elevate its greatness. with that being said, I do think HBTN is a better song but Phantom of the Opera is no slouch. like the song that precedes it, POTO is carried by Steve's bass work and Clive's drumming. the latter is something that particularly stands out to me because I'm trying to learn the drums and holy shit I genuinely have no idea how Clive played it like he did on the record. The triplet pattern on the ride and snare he does in the beginning of the song is already insane enough but he also hits some ghost notes on the snare throughout the entire thing, a style I can only compare to how John Bonham plays Stairway to Heaven. its actually so sick.

as for the guitars, also legendary. the harmony before and after the last two solos are highlights but all three solos are exceptional as well.

my only gripes are that some sections are a tad too extended for my taste. namely the part after the second verse (keep your distance, walk away...), never really liked that. its hard to describe since its an instrumental, but the section after the bass interlude in tandem with the guitar harmonies I also feel lacks in comparison to the rest of the song. overall, its a 9/10. almost perfect, and the fact that it was the first epic was a great sign for things to come.
 
Great song, highlight of the excellent debut for me, love the intro. Sounds great live , did so again this year and was the first song in the set that really got the crowd jumping.

Daley Thompson Lucozade advert is a classic .
 
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